Kaufman Updates
Permanent link for 'By Closing the Door, You Create the Room' | By Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani, Youth Program Manager on April 15, 2025
One of my most poignant memories of undergrad was living in the dorms and adjusting to life with the uber wealthy at a private liberal arts college. Being the daughter of Pakistani immigrant parents, my daily rhythms of living were so different from those that I would now spend my days and nights with. One of my most salient memories was eating in our dining hall, which at Scripps, my college, was in each dorm. I remember how awkward I felt even using the knife and fork because I was accustomed to eating with my right hand, as most people from the Indian subcontinent do. I felt uncultured, unmannered, out of place, unworthy– an impostor. Why was I there, and did I belong? At the risk of dating myself, the 90s were not a time when people were open to learning about what made you unique and how you did not fit into Wonderbread America; it was a much more judgmental time. I spent those years of undergrad observing, learning, soaking in the mannerisms, the spoken and unspoken as a dogged anthropologist. One of the things I absorbed is what it felt like to feel acutely excluded. I can now spot the people who linger on the periphery of gatherings, looking at those comfortably mixing and mingling, because I was them - and in some cases, I still am. I’m grateful to work with a team of people at Kaufman who strive to ensure that everyone feels included and welcome in our spaces.
In The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, Priya Parker explains that the reason we gather should be rooted in purpose to the extent that we “make purpose your bouncer.” At Kaufman, we try to create intentional spaces rooted in purpose. The folks that are included are those who fulfill that purpose and are intentionally invited. While we create these containers to gather in and wonder about if we have done so well, moments of awe happen along the way that remind us that not all learning is programmed and not all growth can be measured.
One of those moments happened a couple of weeks ago. Our Interfaith Leadership Scholars are quickly approaching the end of their program. For this year’s project, they are hosting an interactive dialogue centered on worldview identity and mental health. They have curated this project from start to finish using the leadership skills they developed during the first semester. (We cannot wait to show you the fruits of their labor in May!) Our last working meeting took place during Ramadan, so we ran through the logistics of the event and came back to our office to debrief. As we wrapped up, the topic shifted to the students asking me about how Ramadan was going. A Jewish Scholar mentioned that she loved watching Muslim TikTok and learned from a “revert” influencer about Tahajjud prayers. My mind was blown! What? Muslim TikTok? “Revert”? She knows what Tahajjud prayers are? There are Muslims who don’t know what that is! A Sikh student chimed in, “I like following an influencer that does ASMR of her praying in different places. I find the whispering of the Quran really relaxing.” Once again, these moments of holy envy for me were just awe inspiring. How am I finding out about this at our last official working meeting with this group? Did it take the whole year of us doing the “work” together to get to the point of us then sharing these intersections, or did the intersections happen because we had done the “work” together? I looked around at the Sikh, Christian, Hindu, Atheist, Muslim, and Humanist students and realized that while we were still in the process of nailing down what the exact definition of the Scholars program is, we have successfully created a container that activates the potential of these diverse identities in a way that is transformative.
Thinking back to the times when I felt and feel like an outsider makes me value so much the time when I have been consciously seen. Creating these third spaces or containers of interactions requires initiative. M. Hasna Maznavi, a family friend and Muslim woman who took the initiative to found the first ever Women’s Mosque of America, passed away two weeks ago at the young age of 39. While in California, I was able to attend her funeral, where I saw the impact this young woman had in creating a space where people who often felt voiceless were empowered to grow in knowledge, with the goal of transforming the other spaces they occupied. This mosque did not start without resistance and misunderstanding. She, however, persisted by explaining the intentions of the space she sought to create, the reason it was needed, the purpose it served, and the benefits it provided among the Muslim institutional landscape. Parker would say, “By closing the door, you create the room.” The mosque is valuable in who it excludes because it empowers and uplifts those who are typically invisible. In Hasna’s own words, the goal of the Women’s Mosque was to “create a middle ground that appeals to all Muslim women from the conservative to the liberal, with the ultimate goal to uplift the entire Ummah [broader Muslim community] by empowering Muslim women.” As we move towards creating spaces of inclusion, may we remember to practice radical welcome bounded by intentional purpose.
Permanent link for What Did You Inherit? What Will You Bequeath? | By Kyle Kooyers, Director of Operations on April 15, 2025
Heritage and Legacy.
These are powerful words. They are words that convey identity, belonging, and worth. They are the culmination of all that has been and will be passed down from one generation to the next. As such, there's much ado about both of them.
We might think of the pride taken in having a certain family name, long standing traditions that mark a deep sense of belonging, or precious assets that are inherited or bequeathed creating somewhat of a sense of eternal presence or impact. Perhaps, in terms of evolutionary biology, we would be wise to consider our genetic traits, the characteristics that have been passed down to us and that enable us to thrive as beings that are both uniquely and uniformly human. There's something beautiful in that sacred paradox.
But sacredness also has a heritage and legacy of its own. Just like the handing down of precious heirlooms or the passing on of our eye color, aspects of our ancestors’ spirituality come to us even if we don't recognize it or identify with “religion” as they did. It forms who we are: the community we call home, the land we belong to, the customs we maintain, the values we uphold, and the way we engage with our neighbor. It's the generational roadmap and guidebook for being uniquely and uniformly human.
At the 2023 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, I was able to attend a session in which our neighbors from Kalamazoo, the Fetzer Institute, shared about their recent study, “Sharing Spiritual Heritage.’ You can read that report and watch a short video featuring former Kaufman Staff member, Katie Gordon. The report states, “Faith traditions hold historical, familial, geographic, and spiritual lineages. What are the practices being handed down to others? Who are the teachers, elders, and prophets who have held those practices? Lineage is something to be carried from the past to now and on to future generations. The now becomes an intermediary between what has been and what will be.”
Just as we are a wonderful amalgamation of the spiritual traits of our ancestors - beliefs, belonging, behaviors, bodies, the ends we strive for and the persons we seek to become - we are also those responsible for passing on or bequeathing aspects of that sacred kaleidoscope of heritage to our descendants, or the future generations who will inherit our legacy. What do we dream for them? What do we hope for them? What do we pray for them?
As we dwell in the “intermediary of the now,” we have the opportunity to look back at what has been - that which we have inherited for better or worse - with gratitude or with a discerning lens to see perhaps where pruning is needed to allow for future flourishing. To that end, in that same “now,” we have the opportunity to look forward to what will be - to who will be - with hope, wonder, and expectation that our legacy will endow humanity with a greater capacity to love and respect their divine, their neighbor, and their planet.
What is your Spiritual Heritage? What will be your Spiritual Legacy?
What did you inherit? What will you bequeath?
You are invited to join us for a two-part Interfaith Tuesday Table Talk, where we will lean into this conversation of Unpacking Spiritual Heritage and Exploring Spiritual Legacy. The first will be on the evening of May 13, 2025 and the second on the evening September 30, 2025. More information and registration can be found on the Kaufman Website. Come and hear from intergenerational multifaith voices and share your own as we delve into the past, present, and future of our spirituality over a delicious dinner at Dominican Center Marywood. We hope to see you there!
Permanent link for Finding Spaces of Unity in Times of Division | By Molly Schless, Vice President of the Interfaith Student Council on April 14, 2025
I have been in the interfaith world for about 6 years. What keeps me in this field is the various people I get to meet and learn from. Especially in the world today, there tends to be a "us vs them" mentality. If something is different or even just unknown, it is inherently bad. That is why it is more important than ever to seek spaces where others are willing to let go of any preconceived notions and - even if just for a few hours - remember that we are all human. This past month in March, I had the opportunity to enter two spaces of deep learning and even deeper intergrowth.
GVSU had its first ever Multicultural Night this year. The concept was based on Campus Life Night, an event that happens at the beginning of the year where students can come to see different student organizations offered on campus. Multicultural Night had a similar structure, but was different in the way that it intentionally created a space where people could learn about all the different cultures represented at GVSU. Every booth also had some sort of interactive component, as well. Sometimes that meant trying food from someone’s culture, engaging in an art project, or seeing visual representations. Throughout the night, various students got to see all the booths, participate in a craft, and meet each other. It was an amazing night of laughter, learning, and building connections. I represented Hillel, the Jewish student organization, along with three other members. I also got to represent the Interfaith Student Council, which is a new student organization this year that was founded to bring different students from religious, spiritual, and secular backgrounds together. The energy in the room was ecstatic, and it was so exciting to see fellow students not only willing but eager to learn about something so special to me: my Judaism. One of my favorite moments of the night came at the end when one of my fellow Hillel members had the biggest smile on her face, lighting up as she told me how much fun she had. Throughout the night, she had gotten to teach others about her culture and in return learn about theirs. This was a common theme I noticed throughout the whole event. People who might not even have met were now joking and exchanging contact info to stay connected. As someone who has gotten to experience the beauty of interfaith, it was uplifting for me to see others experience it for the first time. That night proved to me that others do want to make the world a better place and spaces like these are a good place to start.
The next event was Kaufman's yearly Rabbi Sigal Interfaith Leadership Lecture with Syda Taylor. I went into this space not knowing as much as I did about the Multicultural Night. The lecture ended up being an extremely meaningful and impactful space to be a part of. She spoke on unity in diversity, how much we can learn from each other, and how important it is to accept others for who they are. Throughout the lecture, I noticed the people around me were actively engaged in what she was saying . At one point, my neighbor even turned to me saying they had goosebumps. I had a very similar experience, finding myself being more and more moved as she continued to speak. What made this lecture different for me than any other that I had attended before was the importance and relevance of this kind of conversation. It was one of positivity and acceptance in a world where every time you turn on the news, a story of division is in the headlines. Something else that I appreciate about Syda herself is her ability to be authentic and genuine. A lot of past lectures I have attended, especially in the college setting, have been filled with facts and academic language. Although there is value in using both of those tactics for me, I found it refreshing to hear the personal stories and experiences Syda integrated into her lecture. I felt as though it allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the messages she was trying to get across. The main thing I learned from this lecture was that you can focus on everything bad that is going on around you, but if you look for it you will find the good in anything.
Overall, both of these spaces filled me with so much energy and inspiration. This year has brought a lot of ups and downs, but coming to events such as Multicultural Night or Syda’s lecture brought me so much joy. I plan to continue to seek and engage with spaces that find unity in times of division.
Molly Schless
Molly asking a question at Syda's lecture
Molly, Chloe, and Liz setting up at Multicultural Night
Permanent link for Convergence | By Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani, Youth Program Manager on March 18, 2025
Ramadan 2025 began with a request.
A friend of mine, who is an elementary Spanish teacher at my daughter’s charter school, asked me for tips on how to support elementary school students who were fasting in observance of the holy month. Ironically, that very day, the Kaufman staff was asked by the University to help guide professors and staff on how to support students observing Ramadan. Upon completing the assignment for my daughter’s school, I realized the Baha’i fast was also starting at the same time as Ramadan and that Lent would start mid-month. With Ramadan falling in this season, we happen to see this overlap, so I expanded my guidance to draw connections to interfaith considerations for all the traditions with special observances during this time, as well.
Having taken care of that business, I sat there for a moment thinking, this was my third child going to this school, now on the verge of completing middle school. I know of at least ten other Muslim students who had attended the same elementary school, and no one had ever asked about accommodating fasting practices so that a child did not need to sit in the lunch room while their friends ate lunch.
So, why now?
Next, my dear non-Muslim friend told me about her freshman son who was fasting the whole month in solidarity with two of his really good Mulsim friends. All of my children have had friends who have fasted with them for all or part of the month. As an interfaith practitioner, I have struggled to understand this type of “fasting with”, wondering if this is cultural appropriation or misguided solidarity because the practice of fasting as a Muslim is rooted in our core beliefs and practices. Each Ramadan season that passes, I see more and more non-Muslims posting about fasting during the month of Ramadan. I have heard Christians say that they fast during Ramadan because they don’t have a “submissive practice to God,” so the Ramadan fast seems to inspire that in them. Take, for example, my friend, a pastor and community leader who is working to stamp out gender-based violence. She was inspired to use prayer beads to offer Christian prayers five times a day with her worldwide community from South Africa to West Michigan during the season of Lent.
Where is this convergence of practices coming from? How do we ultimately find the divine and draw closer to what is holy? Who is to say that my prescription for that is the only correct formula?
As my friend’s son runs track, fasts in a household of non-fasters, and takes that first sip or bite of food at sundown, who am I to say that his experience is not sacred? Especially considering how much he inspires me by eliminating all music during Ramadan as well - something a lot of Muslims cannot even say.
As my social media feed fills up with divisiveness, polarization, and fear, I choose to feel inspired by these moments of convergence.
Earlier today, students from Jenison High School visited the Kaufman Institute offices to learn about interfaith engagement and how to enter sacred sites with humility and understanding before they embarked on visits to Temple Emanuel and Masjid Al Tawheed. These students engaged in a variety of interactive activities, including defining religion, and mapping their own religious, spiritual, or secular identities, and values. Leaving behind their comfort zone, the students challenged themselves to express ideas that they were exploring in a brave space they co-created with their peers at GVSU and co-led by an Interfaith Leadership Scholar who happened to be a student in the group!
Whether it’s self-discipline, spiritual discipline, or simply engaging with a respectful understanding of our neighbors' practices, this embodied work can help us build familiarity with each other’s traditions. As Naw-Ruz (Baha’i New Year) approaches, as well as the last ten days of Ramadan, the most sacred of the month, I am inspired by these youth who enable me to reimagine my tomorrow. They show us glimmers of Kaufman’s mission fulfilled: belonging and equity for persons of all religious, secular, and spiritual identities, with human connection, interfaith understanding, and collective transformation happening through these moments of convergence.
Posted on Permanent link for Convergence | By Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani, Youth Program Manager on March 18, 2025.
Permanent link for The Art of Collaboration | By Liz English, Campus Program Manager on March 18, 2025
In February, I attended the Ripple Conference at Elon University. This student-led and student-oriented interfaith conference was curated around the theme of “the Art of Interfaith,” alluding to both the various media through which interfaith interactions and stories come to be known as well as the creativity required to engage meaningfully with those of different worldviews. Over the course of the weekend, we heard from poets, photographers, calligraphers - all types of artists from different worldview identities, including students and staff from across the country. While I’ve never considered myself a terribly artistic person - stick figures are all I can muster - this conference got me thinking of the less tangible art form that I practice on a regular basis in this work: collaboration.
Of course, not all instances of collaboration are artistic. Whether because of imbalances of power, a lack of reciprocal buy-in, an expedited timeline in which to work, or any other number of extenuating factors, collaboration often devolves into compromise or even competition. Through compromise, perhaps the group arrives at a consensus so that the work can progress in a timely manner, but the decision is ultimately unsatisfying or dismisses key points. At its worst, the guise of collaboration can be used to make a project appear democratic when, ultimately, decisions are being made unilaterally elsewhere.
In contrast, true collaboration is larger than any one decision or meeting. It is relational, not transactional. It is messy. True collaboration requires us to know our own needs long before taking a seat at the table so that we can match cooperation with assertiveness in equal measure. It asks us to hear and hold the stories and values that underlie each opinion. It demands us to create as yet unimagined paths forward while honoring, at times, opposing truths. And as with many other forms of art, true collaboration cannot be rushed.
Next week, Syda Segovia Taylor of Organic Oneness in Chicago will be joining us to speak on campus as our annual Rabbi Sigal Interfaith Leadership Lecturer. Her topic, the inevitability of world peace (yes, even in times of such great disruption and uncertainty), is rooted in her Bahá’í faith and the necessity of authentic collaboration. She will be sharing about her almost 30 years of experience bringing communities together around topics of environmental and racial justice while exploring the tangible steps we can take toward realizing the oneness of humanity. (Everyone is welcome to join us for Syda’s lecture , which will take place Tuesday, March 25, from 4-6 pm on the GVSU Allendale Campus.)
The work that Syda and her team have done to weave together communities in service of humanity for this annual event is masterful. Their King Day of Service, held in Chicago's Bronzeville and Englewood neighborhoods, is a spectacular example of the beauty that true collaboration can yield. Perhaps Syda would not use the term ‘art’ to describe her work in Chicago, but from an external point of view, it is amazingly easy to see the creativity, the heart, the skill, and the time that has gone into the spaces she has created. I invite you to glimpse her artistic process during her visit next week!
Permanent link for Centering Together: A Judgment-Free Space for Reflection | By Rachel Robinson, President of the Interfaith Student Council on February 18, 2025
A reflection of our recent Interfaith Student Council general meeting on Grand Valley State’s campus.
When we planned this event, we hoped that at least four or five people would show up to have honest conversations about the political climate, both on and off campus. We wanted to create a space where students, including ourselves, could safely discuss topics that many of us are eager to discuss.What we didn’t expect was that these conversations would naturally become a part of our group culture. Before our board meetings, we found ourselves informally checking in with each other, talking about what was happening on campus, how we were feeling, and how we were coping. This wasn’t something we initially planned, but it became so essential that I suggested making it the focus of our next gathering: a space to openly ask, How are we doing? How are we coping? The question we decided to discuss was, what has given you strength in moments when your identity, beliefs, or values have been challenged?
From this, a powerful conversation emerged about intentional spaces - how much we need them to thrive, yet how rarely we make them a priority. So many of us crave community and connection, yet follow-through is a challenge. We say, “I’d love to come!” but then don’t show up. Why is that? And I am not perfect here either, I’m guilty of it too. I tell my friends I want to spend time with them, but unless I intentionally put something on the calendar, it often doesn’t happen. Worse, if plans are too far in the future, distractions arise, and the moment passes. But we need these brave spaces. If we want to make a real difference in how we are feeling, it doesn’t have to be through grand gestures. It can be a small gathering of just four people. As one of our board members put it, “The proof that people are interested is us in the room. If we are here, that means there IS an interest in it.”
So how do we show up for ourselves and our communities? Through small acts. They create ripple effects, and we never know how far those ripples might reach. Even though only one person outside our organization attended, that one conversation could inspire someone to write about it, to share it, to bring others into the dialogue next time.
Lately, there has been much controversy stirring and concern for communities both on and off Grand Valley’s campus. Some are outwardly expressing their concerns, but others are not. One of our board members said, “Our communities are quiet, and that is scary.” We need to be willing to have the hard conversations. As Brené Brown cleverly puts it, we need to be able to rumble with it: “A rumble is a discussion, conversation, or meeting defined by a commitment to lean into vulnerability, to stay curious and generous, to stick with the messy middle of problem identification and solving, to take a break and circle back when necessary, and to be fearless in owning our parts.” Silence isn’t the answer, community is. Community gives us strength to bear the bad things and find strength within each other. A member of our group answered the question about what gives him strength by saying, “Things like this! Unfortunately, spaces where people can speak their minds without fear of ridicule or judgment are rare. And we need them.” He reminded us that “Diversity equals stability. Nature teaches us this; ecosystems thrive when they are diverse. If we can recognize that same principle in our communities, we will be stronger together.” As Valerie Kaur puts it, “See others as a part of ourselves that we do not yet know.”
The morning after our event, I listened to a podcast featuring Simon Sinek, a leadership expert and author, interviewing Jacob Collier, a musician. They discussed how creation and destruction are not always mutually exclusive. This resonated with me. Maybe the ways we’ve been connecting, through Zoom, social media, and digital spaces work, but maybe we also need to create new ways to be present with each other. In times like these, spaces for deep conversation are life-giving. If we’re willing to put ourselves out there, to be intentional, to get creative in how we gather and engage, then we’ll find not only connection but also inspiration. Because small acts have ripple effects. And maybe, just maybe, those ripples will help us build the world we so desperately need. We continue to plan events like this on campus every other Tuesday from 7:00-9:00p. If you would like to join us in these intentional conversations and brave spaces, please send us an email and we can send you updates on future events.
The Interfaith Student Council e-board at the Winter 2025 Campus Life Night
Permanent link for Interfaith Table Talks Come to GVSU | By Liz English, Campus Program Manager, Kaufman on January 21, 2025
It wasn’t all that long ago that our options for gathering together were either virtual or not at all. During the shutdown, seeing friends and family was only possible through a screen, and thank goodness for that. In the interest of accessibility, after the shutdown was over, hybrid or fully virtual spaces have stayed incredibly popular. But I think we all know of the magic that dwells in the spaces where we gather face to face. For all its convenience, a virtual meeting room simply cannot replicate many of the unseen connections that arise in-person - whether we are in the depths of conversation or through body language and small talk in brief instances of passing by.
We also know that these spaces can be intimidating. When we’re sitting in a room together, we no longer have the security blanket of being able to turn off our camera and disconnect when conversation gets difficult, when someone says something that causes our heart rate to speed up or our shoulders to rise in tension, or in those moments when the mind drifts to our to-do lists which we can conveniently check on a separate screen. Being physically together in a space requires presence in more ways than one, which is not always easy. It is, also, where we have seen profound relationships form and be sustained.
For years before the pandemic, and on several occasions since, Kaufman has partnered with the Dominican Center Marywood to curate such a space of in-person relationship building called “Interfaith Table Talks.” Since their inception in 2012, the Table Talks have always been spaces dependent upon the collective wisdom, collaboration, and trust built between the folks in the room, and the room has remained a physical space for a number of reasons. The evening centers around a shared meal, another type of magic not replicable via screen. Barriers are broken down as panelists model the conversation as co-learners, not experts. The atmosphere is often vulnerable and brave. They have quite frankly become some of my favorite spaces within which I can lean into challenging conversations around my own worldview.
This semester, we will host what is hopefully the first of many Interfaith Table Talks on campus, and I’m thrilled to be bringing this type of gathering to GVSU. The inaugural topic: getting to know your religious, secular, or spiritual neighbor. Through deep listening and dialogue, we will highlight both similarities and differences of our experiences across worldviews, and to get Lakers talking about this crucial and often underexplored aspect of identity while breaking bread together. We will put down the screens and simply be together, embracing the challenges of vulnerability and hopefully the personal and collective growth that comes with it as we get to know our neighbors.
Due to extreme weather conditions and the GVSU campus moving to
remote status for Tuesday and Wednesday, the campus Table Talk which
was originally scheduled for this evening has been postponed for a
later date.
Posted by Liz English on Permanent link for Interfaith Table Talks Come to GVSU | By Liz English, Campus Program Manager, Kaufman on January 21, 2025.
Permanent link for Kaufman On Campus: A Semester in Review, and Looking Forward | By Liz English, Campus Program Manager on December 17, 2024
I remember the whirlwind of my first month at the Kaufman Interfaith Institute. Suddenly, what felt like minutes after my final interview (though in retrospect it must have been at least a few days later), I found myself helping to organize an interfaith concert and dialogue with two international music groups, each traveling in from different countries and each with riders to fulfill. There I was with my degrees in Religious Studies, my new employee ID, and not a single clue where to begin renting instruments like a doduk or kopuz. We were off to the races – interfaith in action! – and I was still unsure where I should park.
This December marks the end of two and a half semesters that I’ve been at GVSU with Kaufman, and I still have not gotten used to the pace at which a semester flies by. All of a sudden, here I am reflecting upon what we’ve accomplished over the past three and a half months when it feels like yesterday that I was meeting students and handing out swag at Campus Life Night before the first day of classes.
My priority this past semester was the creation of various spaces of deep listening and authentic ‘being’. Even in my short time at the Institute, I have seen that Kaufman’s programming is at its best and truly thrives when it is deeply and authentically rooted in the needs of the community or communities which it hopes to engage – and I could not hope to create spaces of meaningful conversation and exploration on campus without knowing what those needs are. Low stakes meet-and-greet spaces of connection like the Multifaith Mixer saw great success and interest, as did more intimate spaces such as our weekly Listening Spot where students could share about their days – good, bad, or somewhere in between – in a judgment-free zone. The Interfaith Student Council made its debut on campus this semester, as well, and the enthusiasm for interfaith conversations and connections I’ve seen from these students brings me joy and great hope for future student-led initiatives both on campus and out in the wider community.
The desire for meaningful connection is strong; creating spaces and experiences in which those connections can and do flourish is something with which we continue to experiment. Our Winter 2025 campus programming is centered on this goal.
In January, we will be hosting a “Know Your Neighbor” panel discussion and dinner for the GV community, during which several friends of the Kaufman Institute in their 20s and 30s will explore the importance of interfaith friendships and share about their own religious, spiritual, or secular identities and experiences. Utilizing a model that has shown great success in the community, we will encourage attendees to dig deep into their own stories, lean into intentional and vulnerable conversation with others around worldview, and explore the similarities and differences of our lived experiences while breaking bread together.
Our February event comes out of a growing partnership with Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. which led to a great event with Kristin Kobes Du Mez and David Gushee this past March. Next year, three authors – Cait West, Dr. Sara Moslener, and Dawn Burns – will lead us through a conversation on surviving the harmful effects of religious trauma and purity culture by utilizing writing to process and heal. These (im)Pure Michigan authors will shape the spaces by sharing from their works of fiction, memoir, and academic research in two sessions, one on the Allendale Campus intended for Lakers and one in Grand Rapids open to the public. More and more, we have seen the need for trauma-informed spaces within which students are actively supported as they experience the stories of others and delve into their own; the “Writing Religious Wrongs” sessions will do just that.
Finally, in March, we are thrilled to host Syda Segovia Taylor as this year’s Rabbi Phillip Sigal Interfaith Leadership Lecturer. Syda is the founder and executive director of Organic Oneness, a nonprofit organization in Chicago which centers its mission around racial and environmental justice. She is a member of the Bahá’í community and camps her approach to social justice in the Bahá’í writings on the fundamental oneness of humankind. The planning process for the Interfaith Leadership Lecture has already yielded moments of powerful alignment between Syda’s work and that of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute. We look forward to ushering in the Spring season with her!
Next semester will undoubtedly feel like a whirlwind, just like that first month – in many ways, it already does – but I am grateful for this moment to pause, reflect, and find myself in great anticipation about what is to come.
Multifaith Mixer Sept 2024
Liz and the Listening Spot couches
Tabling Event: Letters of Gratitude
Kaufman Campus Intern Chloe at the Letters of Gratitude event
Posted by Liz English on Permanent link for Kaufman On Campus: A Semester in Review, and Looking Forward | By Liz English, Campus Program Manager on December 17, 2024.
Permanent link for Interfaith & Interwoven is Looking for New Members on December 17, 2024
Do you enjoy knitting/crocheting and chatting with people of different worldviews than your own? Would you like to knit/crochet for children in a high-needs school while having life-giving conversations? If so, Interfaith and Interwoven is the group for YOU!
Interfaith & Interwoven: Knitting for Peace, Justice and Healing began as a project of the 2015 Year of Interfaith Service through the Kaufman Interfaith Institute at GVSU. While gathering on a weekly basis to craft hand-made goods to donate to those in need and dialogue about our faith traditions, we learn a lot about knitting and each other. Through our weekly Zoom meetings of knitting together, we are helping to put diverse people in relationship to one another.
The beauty of meeting on Zoom is that you can meet with the group from the comfort of your home or your travels (if you're a snowbird or a person who is on the go). And it allows our group to meet even though its members are dispersed around the Midwest. One might think that being on a virtual platform has impeded the intimacy of our conversations or relationships but it's actually quite the opposite. We have been grateful that our group has been able to discuss topics pertaining to mental health, aging and stages of life, death and grieving, end of life decisions, teen hormones and angst, diversity and justice issues, cross cultural experiences and much more. The current group is Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian.
If this group sounds interesting to you and you think that others in your faith community would like to join, please share the attached flier. Sign up for this group by filling out this form.
FAQ’s
Who: Persons of all ages (and handcraft abilities) from all faith and non-faith communities. People of all worldviews are welcome to join.
Why: To build friendships and dialogue about our traditions while our hands are engaged in creating items for ourselves, our families, and/or charitable organizations. We are currently knitting hats, scarves & mittens for Godfrey Elementary School in Wyoming, MI.
When: Every Wednesday morning from 10:00 - 11:30 am from September to May.
Where: Even though COVID restrictions have been relaxed, we are continuing to meet by ZOOM as our group has expanded beyond the Greater Grand Rapids area. If you would like to be on the email list to receive the Zoom link, please visit https://www.gvsu.edu/interfaith/interfaith-and-interwoven-61.htm to sign up to receive the Link by email.
Yarn Supply & Garment Drop-Off: If you need yarn, we have a "stash" of donated yarn which may be picked up by appointment at the Kaufman Interfaith Institute on the downtown medical campus of GVSU.
So, please join us for this weekly relationship building experience! You won’t regret it!
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Children at Elementary School wearing items knitted by Interfaith and Interwoven.
Posted on Permanent link for Interfaith & Interwoven is Looking for New Members on December 17, 2024.
Permanent link for Area High School Groups: You are Invited!!! | By Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani, Youth Program Manager on October 15, 2024
Why do we travel? Even traveling two hours away to escape to a neighboring city can get us out of the mundane, awaken our senses, heightens our emotions, invigorate our mind and open us up to the possibility of something new. For students, field trips serve this purpose, to unfurl our horizons.
A field trip to the Kaufman Interfaith Institute will take your students out of the humdrum of the daily school environment. Kaufman’s home, located on GVSU’s downtown Health Science Campus, is just far away enough, just academic enough, just curated enough to transport students into a headspace where they feel safe and ready to lean into deep learning about themselves and others. Our welcoming staff work hard to create an environment that caters to the needs of teens to create safety and comfort.
Jenison High School students recently visited the Kaufman Interfaith Institute. Twenty freshman and sophomore students signed up to voluntarily spend the day building interfaith understanding and belonging with us. Kaufman is grateful to have a space that is malleable and effective for groups up to forty people. With a group size of twenty students we were able to provide soft seating in an intimate circle for our presentation portion and still have plenty of space for hands-on activities in the room.
Our short two hours together covered a lot of ground! Beyond sharing the important history of Kaufman’s founding and the critical nature of our work during these polarized times, we talked about our youth programming and the importance of youth leadership. The crux of our time together was spent exploring individual identity because knowing oneself is crucial to knowing the other. Then we explored the idea of cultural humility, how it’s defined and why it’s an important posture as we engage in the world.
While learning via presentations is interesting, embodied hands-on learning engages different pathways in the brain. In our first activity we engaged with our values. It allowed for students to discuss their understanding of different values, what those values mean to them, why they are important and how they impact their decision making. In our second activity we used Play-Doh to model our “Ideal Communities.” The discussion afterwards centered on topics of leadership, collaboration, resources, barriers, and profound direct connections to issues in their school community. Just as students were digging into the way in which they, as leaders, could impact their school it was time to leave. The Jenison group was able to continue their conversation back at school and debrief their time with us. The overwhelming feedback was that they wanted more time together and felt empowered by the importance of their role as leaders on campus to build belonging. They want to stay connected with Kaufman via the Scholars and with staff because of the connections we built in our short time together. They were honored to be treated with dignity and respect as young adults and not children in our space.
As Kaufman grows its youth programming we are learning from these experiences. We often do trainings for community organizations and internal departments at GVSU. We are learning that we can be a resource to schools who are looking for a field trip experience on a variety of topics related to interfaith understanding, identity, youth leadership and belonging (to name a few). We encourage you to reach out to Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani if you would like to plan a visit!
